How many people are in the U.S. House of Representatives?

The number of people in the US House of Representatives is set at 435 due to the Permanent Apportionment Act of 1929. This act established a fixed number of seats, allocating them to each state based on their population for representation in the House. The number 435 was chosen as a compromise to ensure a manageable forum for debate and decision-making while allowing for proportional representation. Although the population has continued to grow since then, the number of seats has remained constant, resulting in an unequal distribution of representation among states.